by Kimber White
“Yeah. I can see that. I still have a bone to pick with him about his tactics.” I rubbed my neck to illustrate my point. Though it had seemed worse in the moment, Bas had really only opened up a scratch right above my collarbone. Still, I couldn’t quite picture what Bas would look like in a suit, no less.
“You’d better get going. The sooner you do, the sooner you can come back to me.”
My heart ached at the look of longing in his eyes. “And then we’ll talk? Really talk? Like you promised.”
“I swear on my life. I’ll tell you everything Bas meant.”
“Good.” I kissed Luke one last time as I grabbed my keys and headed for the garage door. I had so many questions, but they would all have to wait. I just prayed Luke would keep his promise and be here when I got back.
Chapter Twenty-One
I spent the next several hours at Grandpa’s side. He slept for most of the time and looked peaceful. I took a cool cloth and pressed it to his forehead. It seemed to make him more comfortable. His upper lip twitched in a smile when I leaned down and kissed him. His eyes fluttered open a few times, and once it even seemed like he recognized me, but I couldn’t be sure. It could be Jesse or my mother he saw. Either way, I was glad for what little comfort I could bring to him while his body fought through his damaged heart.
The doctor finally made rounds in the late afternoon. He didn’t look like what I imagined a cardiologist would. This guy looked more like an aging surfer with bleach blond hair and tanned, leathery skin. He introduced himself as Dr. Hansen and shook my hand with a knuckle-crunching grip.
“Your grandfather’s quite the celebrity around here.”
“Oh?”
“He’s had a stream of visitors, I guess. Is he really chief of your tribe?”
I gave Dr. Hansen a sideways look and stopped myself. I realized I was about to treat him with the “you’re not from around here” routine I’d been getting myself since I came back. I didn’t imagine he’d like it any more than I did.
“Not really,” I answered. “Do you know who’s been visiting him?”
Hansen smiled. “One of the nurses told me they were council members.”
A shadow fell over my heart. God knows what those old buzzards had to say to Grandpa. Hansen flashed a row of white veneers and tapped the screen of his tablet. “Ah. Anyway, only one of them introduced themselves to me. A Mr. Karrow. Said he was family, but since you’re the only one listed on your grandfather’s forms, it was a short conversation.”
My blood boiled. Once again, Beau seemed to be sticking his nose in where it didn’t belong.
“Anyway,” Hansen continued. “The good news is, bypass won’t be necessary. But, your grandpa does need another procedure. I want to put in a pacemaker, and I’d like to schedule that for tomorrow.”
“Are you sure he’s strong enough? He’s barely regained consciousness.”
Hansen nodded. “That’s the drugs for the most part. And with someone with his advanced state of dementia, it’s not uncommon. We’re going to start weaning him off that soon. But, I did get a chance to talk to Wyatt late last night. He understands what’s happening.”
“What? Why didn’t anyone tell me he was awake and talking?”
Hansen shrugged. “You can talk to the nursing staff. But, I actually asked him if he wanted me to call someone and he said no. Mr. Karrow was here, and your grandfather just wanted to spend some time with him.”
I pursed my lips but refrained from unleashing the stream of bad words I wanted to use explaining just how I felt about the Karrows spending alone time with Grandpa. But, I didn’t want to risk upsetting him. His recovery mattered more than my beef with Beau and Gerard. My rage would have to wait.
Dr. Hansen gave me some paperwork to look over and explained some of the risks of the procedure. Just as he was finishing, he was paged over the loudspeaker to another patient further down the ward. I nodded and he gave me an avuncular pat on the shoulder. The procedure was scheduled for first thing in the morning, and he promised to check in with me before that if there were any changes. When he left, I did my best to adjust Grandpa’s pillows and waited for the next shift change. Corrie Blackstone was on tonight too, and I wanted to make sure she knew to call me.
“No worries,” she said as she checked Grandpa’s lines. “I told the day girls to tell me if anyone stopped by to visit Wyatt, but I guess they didn’t figure the elders qualified as anyone.”
“The elders? You mean all of them? From all the Nine Families?” My heart raced. Something weird was going on. Unless they thought Grandpa’s condition was worse than it was, I couldn’t figure out why all of them would want to see him in here.
Corrie shrugged. “That’s what my dad said. They all just wanted to pay their respects. Don’t get excited. Those old farts don’t have much better to do. Plus, they all love talking about their aches and pains. Don’t read anything into it. Wyatt’s doing better than the doctors expected. I think he’s going to be okay, Tamryn. You got good news today. Don’t lose sight of that.”
I let out a sigh and nodded. She was right. Plus, I had enough on my plate beside worrying about what a bunch of grumpy old men did in their spare time. Grandpa’s color looked better today, so maybe the company did him good.
“Go on home and get a good night’s sleep,” Corrie said. “You want me to shoo those raisins away if any of them show up tonight?”
I considered it for a moment, but couldn’t think of a good reason why. “I doubt they will. But, if you don’t think they’re doing any harm, I don’t see a problem with it. I’d appreciate it if you’d just let me know. I’ll be here early. The doctor said the procedure he’s having won’t take long, but I want him to know I’ll be waiting for him when he gets out.”
Corrie’s smile lit her whole face. “You’re a good kid, Tamryn. This old fart has probably made your life hell plenty. If he’s anything like my old fart of a father, which I know he is. They’re all cut from the same cloth. They don’t deserve us.”
I laughed. “No. I suppose they don’t most of the time. But what the hell would they do without us?”
Corrie made a clucking noise as she held out her arms to give me a much appreciated hug. I gave Grandpa one more kiss on the cheek. He stirred a little and his eyes fluttered open. He reached up and touched my face, then drifted back into his sedated haze.
I said a last goodbye to Corrie and headed home. Butterflies took flight beneath my breast as I said a silent prayer that Luke had kept his promise and would be there waiting for me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
My tires crunched over the hard-packed snow as I made my way up the driveway. My heart seemed suspended for the fraction of a second it took me to round the last curve. Bas’s black SUV was parked at an odd angle in the driveway, and my heart started beating again when I saw it. It meant Luke was still here too. If I needed another indication, I felt that now-familiar twinge at the base of my spine that meant my wolf was nearby.
I parked the car in the garage. Baked heaven reached my nostrils before I even opened the utility door. Pat had been busy. Pots and pans clanged in the kitchen as she made herself at home.
“Chicken soup and chocolate chip cookies!” She sang out as I hung my coat and brushed off my boots. I think everyone should hear that when they walk in the door. My stomach answered in a growl before I could. Pat laughed.
“I think I’m turning part wolf myself. God, that smells so good.” I leaned my head over the stock pot and let the aroma hit me full force. “Are you a good witch or a bad witch, Pat?”
She laughed and swatted me lightly with her wooden spoon. “You aren’t the first one to ask. I still haven’t come up with a solid answer. I guess it depends on the day.”
“Fair enough.”
Pat’s smile settled and her eyes twinkled with concern as she looked at me. “How’s Wyatt?”
I shrugged and filled her in on the details. The news seemed welcome to her, and I slid ont
o one of the barstools we kept around the kitchen island. I rested my chin in my hands and watched as Pat stirred the soup and added more herbs. Her hands flew over the pot as she wielded her ladle like an orchestra conductor. She whipped up a symphony of smells as she added basil and bay leaves.
“Did you know him well, my grandpa?”
Pat turned and wiped her hands on her apron. I startled for a second, recognizing it as one of Grandma Jesse’s. Grandpa usually kept it hanging in the pantry as if he were waiting for her.
“I don’t think anyone could claim to know Wyatt Redbird well. And if they do, they’re lying to you. But, his family and my family go way back.”
“He doesn’t trust Luke,” I said, not planning to be so blunt, but somehow, it seemed urgent. If Pat was in the mood to talk, I still had so many questions. “He calls him a Wendigo. It means demon more or less in Odawa.”
Pat’s gaze fixed to a point over my shoulder, and I sensed she was seeing something from a day long past. “Oh, I know what it means. And I suppose he would. Shifters and the Odawa haven’t always had an easy relationship. I think a lot of the old timers around here see all shifters as one thing. And they’ve had cause. Years ago, there was a pack that terrorized the people in these parts. But, the Wild Lake packs have never done anything to harm your people or mine. And, you might even say the people of Oodena owe a debt to the Wild Lake packs.”
“For what?”
Pat pursed her lips together and cocked her head to the side. “You know. That one’s not my story to tell, and the things I know are secondhand. But, fifty years ago, things weren’t peaceful like they are now. Packs fought for lands, and it got pretty bloody. The Odawa and the Wild Lake packs had a common enemy. But, a lot of people got hurt on both sides. Your grandpa remembers that. He’s just worried for you. Like I’m worried for my son.”
She punctuated her last two words with a pointed stare straight at me. My heart dropped to my knees. It hadn’t occurred to me that Pat might worry about my intentions with Luke like Grandpa did with his. I didn’t know what to say but wanted very much for this woman to like and respect me. I sensed that as an ally or foe, Pat Bonner would be formidable.
“I’m worried about him too. That’s why I called you. He believes he’s got evil inside of him. I know he doesn’t.”
Pat ran a hand through her wiry gray hair and settled onto the stool opposite me. “Oh, honey. We all have evil inside of us. Don’t kid yourself. But you’re right. Luke’s not the monster he’s afraid of becoming. At least, not yet. But, there are some things you need to know. And there are some things I need to know.”
So there it was. Pat was about to give it to me with both barrels. I straightened my back and braced myself.
“Do you love him?”
I swallowed hard. Luke had told me he loved me. I hesitated when he did it. But, with her cold, emerald eyes, I knew Pat would not stand for evasion.
“Yes.” Warmth flooded through me as I put a voice to my feelings. Yes. Of course it was yes. But now it was my turn for a pointed question.
“What did Bas mean last night? He said something about knowing what I was.”
Pat’s eyes widened in surprise. She rubbed her thumb in the palm of her opposite hand and regarded me. “You mean you don’t already know? Luke hasn’t told you? Or more to the point, you haven’t figured it out for yourself?”
“No. And please don’t tell me I have to ask him. You want answers from me. I expect some from you in return.”
The corner of her mouth twitched. I didn’t know her well enough to guess, but it looked like the hint of a smile.
“You feel connected to him, don’t you? Like he’s starting to become part of you. In here.” She put a fist in the space between her breasts. With her other hand, she touched her temple.
I chewed the bottom of my lip and slowly nodded. Pat did smile this time. She reached across the table and took my hand in hers. “You’re his mate, Tamryn. At least, you’re supposed to be. That’s why you’re here. And why he’s here. It wasn’t random. It’s the way it works with shifters.”
“Were you . . . is that how it was with Luke’s father and you?”
A dark shadow seemed to settle in Pat’s eyes. For a fraction of a second, she looked away from me. When she looked back, she blinked hard as if she were holding back tears. “No,” she finally answered. “Not with Luke’s father. He came into my life much later. We were both so much older, had seen so much. It was companionship and loneliness that drew Marcus Tully and me together. Not fate. And he gave me my son. But, no. Luke’s father and I weren’t fated mates. My mate was someone else. Another Luke. I lost him a long time ago.”
My heart broke for her and a new fear settled inside me. Fated mates. That’s what she called it. She said it’s what Luke and I were, and I knew it was true in an instant. I was born for him and him for me. The thought of losing him took the air out of the room.
“He’s holding back,” I said. “He’s afraid of it. Afraid of hurting me.”
Pat’s grip on my hand grew firmer. “I know. And that’s exactly why we might lose him.”
A cold shiver ran through me as Pat leveled her hard gaze at me again. I let out a breath. “What do you need me to do?”
She shook her head. “Not me. It has to be your choice. Luke would never force you. But, being around you and not . . . uh . . . claiming you is making it harder and harder for him to hold on.”
A hot blush rushed through me all the way to the roots of my hair. I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t have a mother. I had a birds and bees talk in school, but none of them ever covered this. But, my embarrassment gave way to burning curiosity.
“We, uh . . . that is he . . . we’ve done it. Um. Once.”
Pat’s eyes were kind. I realized at that moment that nothing I could say could shock her. She admitted herself she’d spent decades with werewolves. She had mated with one and had a child with another. If ever I was going to meet a Dr. Ruth of shifter sex, she was it.
“He didn’t mark you, though. Didn’t bite you.”
My blood warmed thinking about what had up until that point been the most erotic moment of my life. Luke had only scraped his teeth against my neck, but I’d sensed his need to bite me. But more than that, I craved it too.
“No. He . . . er . . . he stopped himself.”
Pat shrugged then shook her head. “Jesus. He’s stronger than he thinks he is. And let me guess. That was right about the time he went berserk and ran off the last time.”
Relief flooded through me. This had to be what it was like for other girls who had women in their lives they could talk to like this.
“Pretty much. What would have happened if he had bitten me?”
Her face took on that far-off expression again. Her cheeks flamed as she remembered how it happened for her. Whatever her answer would be, she had enjoyed it. I felt a flare of heat rush through me as well at the thought of letting Luke take me like that again. I couldn’t deny how badly I wanted him to.
“You’ll change,” she finally said. “Not like him. At least, probably not. The shifter line doesn’t run through the Odawa. The Mahicans are another story. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. I heard some stories way back about some bear shifters that came from an Odawa tribe. Not wolves, though. Big difference. But, when a were takes you as his mate, you become part of each other. It’s not something I can describe all the way. But, you’re already two halves of a whole. When he marks you, you become complete. Then, the Rise happens. You won’t be able to stay away from him for very long. It’s exciting. Exhilarating. A little scary. But, the more you’re with each other and, uh . . . with each other he can bring you into heat. Then, if you want it, you can make me some grand pups.”
That twinkle came back into her eyes. She cocked her head to the side and put a finger under my chin to lift my head. “But, there will be time for that. Years if you want it. In the meantime you have a choice to make. Sooner rath
er than later. I told you. Luke won’t force you. But, he’s not going to be able to hold it together on his own much longer. That’s what Bas was talking about. Either he takes you as a mate all the way, or he needs to let Bas or another wolf take over as his Alpha. He can’t keep himself isolated from both of you if he wants to keep his sanity. If he tries, then he really will become the thing he’s so scared of. He’ll shift to his wolf because it’s easier for him. And we’ll lose the man for good.”
My head was spinning. I had the power to save Luke if he let me. But, not without accepting a change to my whole life or even my body. Was I ready for that? Could I do it? Would I be able to live if I didn’t do it?
“And he doesn’t want another Alpha because of what happened with his brother. He said his brother controlled him completely and made him do things against his will. What things, Pat? What happened to him?”
Some of the color drained from Pat’s face. “I don’t know all of it. Just what Luke was willing to talk about when he came back last year. One of the other pack Alphas was able to take down his brother and free Luke. But, he just couldn’t handle pack life after that. He needed to have freedom. You see, his brother was what they call a Tyrannous Alpha. It’s a brutal form of leadership where the Alpha exerts complete control over the pack. Bas isn’t like that. None of the other Wild Lake Alphas are. It’s a perversion of what healthy pack life is supposed to be like. And Luke suffered the most because he tried to challenge his brother, Asher, over the years. Asher made him live in his wolf for so long he lost his mind a little. But he’s strong. You’ve seen it. And he’s good. He just needs to believe it. So, my question to you is, are you willing to help him? Are you willing to be with him the way you were meant to? Because if you aren’t, you need to tell him that now. Don’t make him suffer another second, Tamryn. I care about you already because of who you are to my son. But make no mistake, I’ll do whatever I have to to protect him. Even if that means letting Bas become his Alpha and take him as far away from here as possible.”